Gambia will face Tunisia in a crucial Group C match at the TotalEnergies CAF U-17 Africa Cup of Nations on Monday in Morocco, knowing that only a win will guarantee their place in the quarter-finals. The match is scheduled to kick off at 19:00 local time at the Berrechid Municipal Stadium.
Currently sitting on three points after two matches, Gambia trails both Tunisia and Senegal, who are tied at four points. A draw won’t be enough for Gambia to advance, due to the head-to-head rule, even if Senegal suffers a shock defeat to Somalia.
This match marks the first time Gambia and Tunisia will meet in the U-17 AFCON. For Gambia, it’s a third encounter with North African opponents, having previously defeated Algeria twice in the 2009 edition. Tunisia, on the other hand, is facing a sixth different West African side, with a disappointing historical record of only one win in seven games against such teams.
Gambia’s recent form offers hope: they bounced back from a narrow defeat to Senegal with a dominant 5-1 victory over Somalia. That win tied their biggest ever margin at the tournament and featured the competition’s first hat-trick by a Gambian player, Alieu Drammeh. A win against Tunisia would see Gambia reach the quarter-finals for the third time and qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup, as they did in 2005 and 2009.
However, defensive concerns remain. Gambia hasn’t kept a clean sheet in their last five group-stage matches, and despite their big win against Somalia, they completed significantly fewer accurate passes than their opponents.
Tunisia enters the clash with confidence after a win against Somalia and a goalless draw with defending champions Senegal. They’ve yet to concede in the tournament, and another clean sheet would mark their first group stage without allowing a single goal. A draw would be enough to secure their progression and a fourth World Cup appearance.
Still, Tunisia struggled offensively against Senegal, managing no shots on target and just 119 accurate passes. Their goalkeeper Slim Bouaskar played a key role, making four crucial saves.
Monday’s showdown is set to be a high-stakes clash with a place in the knockout stage—and potentially the World Cup—on the line for both nations.
